The Republican victory effort had amassed a $169 million warchest for its final push to Election Day, the Romney campaign said. Its record fundraising was tabulated through Oct. 17, which includes the first two presidential debates.

The Romney Victory fund, a joint fundraising venture by the Romney campaign, the Republican National Committee and four state Republican parties allied with the Romney camp, raised $170 million for the GOP contender in September. October's haul is on pace to far surpass that number.

Thursday's Deep Dive featured a look at Ohio's key counties and their election histories in 2004 and 2008. Which way will they vote this year? The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.

“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are offering a vision for the country that will finally bring a real recovery to the American people. Their plan will bring much needed change after the last four years and it is why we have seen such momentum and strong support from our donors," Romney national finance chairman Spencer Zwick said in a statement accompanying the release.

With less than two weeks remaining in the fall campaign, today's release could be intended in part to continue to project momentum and strength for the Romney campaign, themes the candidate has sought to emphasize at each appearance on the campaign trail.

"There's no question about it. We're seeing more and more enthusiasm, more and more support," Romney said on Tuesday in Nevada. "We're going to make sure that these campaigns and the message of these debates, rather, these messages, keep going across the country."

Much of the $169 million the Romney team had on hand as of last week is earmarked for fueling that message with both ad spending and get-out-the-vote efforts increasing in intensity.

Earlier this week, a Romney adviser said the campaign has inquired about air time for a possible 30-minute infomercial to air in swing states, and the money could also be used to broaden Romney's electoral map. Pennsylvania, with its expensive media markets, could become a target for the Romney campaign, which has flirted with the state but not yet fully engaged, including not running TV ads.

There's also no sign that the money well will dry up for Romney any time soon. Tonight in Dallas the campaign will hold a fundraiser headlined by former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Romney's son Josh and featuring a video appearance from Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, that organizers say is expected to raise more than two million dollars.